Going Back to Basics

Salaam and Greetings All,

 

The haze is nauseating. The heat is unbearable. Thank God for the rain past couple of days, though it made me stuck in traffic for almost two hours on Monday. The good news is that, as of today, it seems that there is a change in wind patterns that could change the weather for the better.

 

I am a strong believer in getting the foundation right. In getting the concepts right before moving on to more advance or complex matters. The downpour on Monday was a great example of understanding the basics. The downpour was caused by cloud seeding. Basically (the pun is intended), clouds are water vapour. Basically (again..) rain occurs when clouds become saturated with water, and when the clouds can't hold the water anymore (critical mass - also used in nuclear fusion and fission), it rains. So, seeding the rain, is merely to induce or speed up the process of saturation and precipitation.

 

Cloud seeding is a complex process, no doubt about it. However, all these cannot be done unless you understand the fundamentals of what a cloud is, and how it rains.

 

Same thing with learning. We tend to focus on the advance, the sophisticated, the complex, i.e. the substance. Yet, we know from our own experience and the experience of others, it is the basics, the ability to process, the ability to communicate, the ability to think creatively, solve problems, to relate, to connect, those are the things that most employers look for. The industry's frustration is not about not knowing Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, History, Geography etc, though it is important. To them, it is the ability to be functional and productive at the workplace.

 

Do read this article from Forbes. And it is something we as Malaysians have been debating for quite sometime. http://onforb.es/1lvGYxT  Two Sides Of The Same Coin: The Employment Crisis And The Education Crisis - Forbes.

A couple of years ago, I had a similar conversation amongst representatives from the industry, learning and development, and private colleges. Nobody seems to know who is responsible for what. Industry points at the education system. Education sector, points at the industry.

 

Years ago I was working with Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC). MDeC constantly has talks with the industry and how to support and meet their needs. And one of the great debates is the Employment vs Education crisis. A colleague of mine back then shared that an industry representative insisted that our schools and universities should focus on providing a strong education in fundamentals, and let the industry develop the employees in the substance / content. To them, there is no way the schools and/or universities will be able to play catch up. The industry moves in response to demands. And they are not big on process, procedures and approvals. For schools or universities to change their curriculum, it will generally take between 4 - 10 years. Because, that it is when you can see the "fruits' of you labour. Industries can't wait that long. They can't even wait four months.

 

I strongly believe, what the Industry rep said at the MDeC industry meeting is correct. Unfortunately, our education system wants to make the product of their system, to be experts in everything. Unfortunately, looking around at the pool of products we now have, everybody loses. The education system, the industry, and worst of all, the students. Our graduates are neither here nor there. And, industry has to invest additional, time, effort and money to provide the necessary, basic - fundamental knowledge and skills to their employees. I repeat, "provide the necessary, basic - fundamental knowledge and skills". Shouldn't the basics be done at schools?

 

The same can be said about Leadership. Most employees will get some form of a Leadership program when they are about 6 - 8 years in the workforce and probably 2 - 3 years leading at least a team. Of course, there is no substitute for experience. If the leader has a great mentor to guide, he/she will be a great leader, but, I hate to say this, what if the leader learns from another leader who has learn the wrong fundamentals of leadership? Similarly, would you go see a doctor who only learns from experience alone? Yet, I have quite a number of companies who don't invest in providing the necessary, basic - fundamental knowledge and skills in leadership. Most often, the reply I got was, "we can't afford to", either time or money, or both. Yet, these people are already performing the role of a leader.

 

The irony is that, companies who invest early, are the companies that have been around a long long time. They are leaders in people, services, products and innovation. And I am sure you know who these companies are.

 

Have a good week ahead, hopefully no haze, no water cuts, the days are cooler and more rain.

 

Iskandar
+6019 229 0812
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